Ever After
by averysanatomy
Summary: April Kepner, sole daughter of a deceased French nobleman, is raised more as a servant than as a stepdaughter. One day, she accidentally meets the future king of France.
1. Prologue

_"Now then, what is that phrase you use?_

 _Once upon a time, there lived a young girl, who loved her father very much…"_

There hasn't been a morning that beautiful in a long time. The sun was still low in the sky, drowning the air in a soft golden light, low clouds blocking some rays, these so white, so different from the ones that had been over the land on the couple months before. Flowers were finally starting to blossom, the grass and trees greener than ever. The smell surrounding the country was heavy and rich, as if Earth itself was awakening after a long and profound sleep. April Kepner felt, while sneaking glances at the open window, that God had created that perfect day specially for her, as there was no other way to explain what was happening in her heart than with a soft sunrise after an infinite lifetime of storms.

Her mother had passed away five years ago and not for a single day she hasn't missed her twinkling eyes and perky smile. Because of her father's job depended of traveling, most of April's time was spent on following her mother in and out of the large manor. She was too young to remember the details, but still recalls her laugh, louder when her father returned home, feeding the animals, or reading till she fell asleep. Her father always said that April was the joy of his life, but she knew that wasn't entirely true. Anyone that had spared a quick glance at Joseph and Karen Kepner knew their love could survive anything, so when her mother died quickly after what began as an innocent flu, the only reason stopping the man to go after her was the fact that he couldn't abandon his three-year-old innocent daughter more broken than she already was. The light inside of him, though, was lost, and for many years the only thing that seemed to bring back a little of it was to witness his child grow into a small copy of the love of his life. He could see that the girl had not only inherited the red color of her mother's hair, but her kindness, wit, faith, strong mind and fists.

But, one day, by the time she had just turned seven, he returned and she sensed something had changed. She observed him during dinner and his shoulders seemed relaxed, his walk more free, and he even drank two glasses of wine instead of only one. When he went to her room that night in order to continue reading La Chanson de Roland, as he opened the book she interrogated what could've caused the change. That night was the first time she heard about her future step-mother.

"Oh Arizona, it feels just like Christmas! I get a mother and sisters all in one day"

She kept standing on her toes to get a better look at the outside, expecting the second she would finally hear the horses and the carriage down the road and not only the birds chirping. The blond woman knelled behind her was struggling to finish tying the pompous white dress and in order to keep the young lady quiet she had to, more than once, push her back by the ribbons around her waist. Calliope kept coming and going inside the room, setting up the last arrangements for the arrival.

Arizona, Calliope and Owen were already Joseph's servants years before she was born and held the uttermost respect for their lord. He and his wife were always kind and fair, treating them equally even with their different social standings. When Karen passed away, all of them suffered along and in order to never let April endure the kind of pain that comes with losing a parent more than she had to, they promised to be there for her for whatever she needed. They took care of her while Joseph was away, working harder to provide to his daughter anything she might ever want. She already was being denied a mother, that was enough. Still, being the less strict of the parents, April was treated more freely than most girls her age, and even though she was aware of her position in society and the demands that came with it, she couldn't care less about them.

"Yes, it's going to be very exciting here, with the Baroness and all…Oh, hold still!"

The moment the lord announced he was getting married again, to a proper lady no less, they couldn't be anything but relieved. The man had been so recluse after his grief that in time all gave up the hope that he'd ever fall in love again. As much as they loved April as their own daughter, a lady role-model inside the manor would only benefit the young girl's education.

"The master deserves some happiness after all this time… bringing up the child on his own" Calliope said as reentering the room, folding towels. "She must be lovely."

"I hope she likes me."

"She'll love you. Just be the little angel I know is in there somewhere." Arizona smiled, pinching the girl's cheek.

"And don't chew on the bones at dinner and give yourself away…"

They were all smiles, standing in front of the long mirror, looking at the small girl as she was finished getting ready. They were so proud of her and only expected the best from this new beginning. They were also aware of how anxious April was, even though she tried to hide it behind all the excitement. The girl confided in them that she missed having a mother sometimes, and her father, having said the most wonderful things about the Baroness, only raised her expectations about the new woman. She would even have sisters to play in the garden with and share secrets beside the fireplace, since Alex never flattered her with this endearment or could visit her at night. She was dreaming about the day her family would be complete.

That moment of quietude was broken by a small rock that came inside the room, making a loud noise against the wooden floor, being followed by a second only a moment after.

"Child, your father arrives any moment!" Arizona sighed as April ran to the parapet, picking at her dress' sides to not trip over it, and looked down to see her best friend. Young Alexander Karev was standing right down her room's window with another few rocks in his dirty hands.

"Alex, I told you! Not today!" Many and many times in the weeks before the arrival date, she explained to him how after her father's new marriage some parts of her routine would change, exactly as Arizona had told her. She argued back when heard that the time with them all would be cut and how the step-mother probably had more strict opinions about her clothes, her schedule, and the kind of games she could join in, especially the ones involving her inside the pigsty or bathing in mud, but ended up granting after understanding that her sisters and other ladies her age didn't usually behaved like that.

"You look like a girl!"

She rolled her eyes, putting both hands on her hips while giving him an annoyed expression. He would have to accept soon that wearing a dress didn't forbid her to have clay in her hair, it would only be limited to certain days and times. That shouldn't change their relationship.

"That's what I am, halfwit!"

"Yeah, but today you look it!" April Kepner was not going to accept that attitude from him. Her new mother was soon arriving and he should already understand the situation. She could be wearing the most heavy dress she had, but it would not stop her from dipping his head in something if it meant he would learn to respect her no matter what clothes she was in.

"Boy or girl, I can still whip you."

"Hah!"

She disappeared inside the room in a hurry to avoid to be held back, running down the stairs, ignoring the claims from both Arizona and Calliope. At the same time, the sound of the horses alarmed them as the cortege could finally be seem on the road by the horizon, quickly approaching the manor. They all ran down to stand in proper position by the main entrance as the horses and carriage stopped, pulling her dresses and aprons to place, being joined by the other servants, Owen supervising if they were all in proper attire.

"Look lively, it's the master."

"Welcome home, Monsieur le seigneur." Owen exclaimed, approaching his lord with a smile, shaking hands with him. "I see you have brought us a baroness"

The light-brown haired man dismounted his mane in a swift motion, patting his fancy clothes from all the dust acquired in the trip. He had a proud expression while taking in the entire crew.

"I have brought you an entire household, Owen… But I seem to be missing a daughter"

He kept looking around in the direction of the porch as if his daughter would come to surface in an instant, but had to turn his back against it as his new family started to descend the carriage. The first one was a blonde thin girl, dressed in a red velvet attire, looking up at the manor disappointed. Following her, a bit younger, was a brunette, apparently more pleased by the view, with similar clothes, but green. Helped by a coachmen, the baroness came to view. She was stunning, head high, wearing an expensive silver velvet dress, with a large matching headpiece and jewelry, staring up at the building and the people surrounding her. As she came to full view, while curtsying, the realization that now they would be dealing with a lady with a much higher upbringing fell upon the servants' heads.

"Oh… Joseph… It's absolutely charming, really."

The fact that the lady sounded ironic and the smile didn't reach her eyes was subtle but evident. Her expression only hardened after April came around the corner running, her white dress covered in what they hoped to be only mud even if the strong smell said otherwise, hair once tied in a charming bun now disheveled, her face could have not been washed in a week.

"Papa!" She jumped in his arms, both father and daughter not bothered by her filthiness, trying to express in a single hug how much they missed each other.

"Oh, look at you, just as I left…. I'll wager your friend Alexander is around here."

"No, sir! I slaughtered him." She smirked as he kneeled and looked deep in her eyes, taking all her assets with pride and joy.

"Well, so you did… I had hoped to present a little lady. I suppose you'll have to do." He shrugged, laughing at the servants, not a hint of malice in his voice, and stood up, stepping by his daughter' side to let her take in the women who was now their family. "April, darling… may I present the Baroness Ellis the Grey and her daughters, Meredith and Alexandra."

"Hello, April. At last we meet. Your father speaks of nothing else." The woman came slightly forward, her daughters following each on one side. April instantly regretted having fought with Alex, as she couldn't feel more out of place. Their first impression of her would be of an ugly, disgusting girl instead of a lady like them. While the brunette indulged her with a kind smile, the blond stood starring down unimpressed at her clothes. "Ladies, say hello to your new stepsister."

"Mademoiselle" Both girls bowed and April repeated the motion, at least showing that what she lacked at the moment in appearance, she could compensate with education. While staring at their feet, she couldn't but dream that the trio already loved her as much as she loved them.

* * *

"Utopia."

"It means paradise. This may be a bit thick for an eight-year-old, but we could add it to our library."

Her father was in her room by sleep time that night for the first time since he arrived one week before, what was unusual, but he had warned her before the wedding that he'd have others responsibilities. But April was happier than in a long time and he couldn't avoid being proud of how she was behaving. She fell naturally into a routine with the new family. The fact that she woke up earlier than the other women in the house to help in the kitchen or the gardens didn't bother the Baroness as long as she was cleaned up by the time she descended the stairs with the two other girls for the morning lessons. Ellis was extremely strict with the girl's education, more than expect, as with their beauty routine and manners. She was decided in creating the most perfect ladies in the entire kingdom, and if sacrifices were supposed to be made, they would be done with a smile in their faces. Trying to get on their good side, April paid deep attention to the way they walked, talked and eat, the utensils dancing between their hands; how they dressed up, bathed, and while making tea parties trained to drink tea with the Queen. It was so different from the life she ever had that most times she kept thinking if she wasn't playing princess. She was proud, though, when she looked up from the music sheet and saw the impressed face of the Baroness, aware that her hands were more trained with the piano than the others, the same happening with reading and writing. She never got a proper compliment, but Ellis was a woman of few and hard words.

"Will you read some?" She was touching softly the first page of the small book in her hands, tracing the words with love. The reading before sleep was her favorite part of the day when Joseph was home, and even though she was delighted by their new life, she couldn't help but miss it. Maybe her new mother could join them one day too.

"It's been a very long day." He looked tired from setting up the new household, dark bags under his eyes, so she made an effort to ignore the tightening in her heart.

"And you're a husband now."

"Yes, I'm a husband, but a father first and forever. We've been two peas in a pod, you and I, for a long time… I suppose this will take some time getting used to." He got closer to her, holding her hands between his much larger ones, his devotion for her in his eyes. Her smile grew as she understood that not for a single moment he didn't want to read to her, he was only getting on his feet with the new family. He would make time, eventually. Trying to express how she didn't held it against him, she changed the subject quickly, remembering something she wanted to share.

"Did you see the way they eat their supper? It is perfect, like a dance! And walk!"

"Do you like them?" He shared the girl's smile, happy that she was not bothered with the new arrangement. If she didn't like the Baroness, he wouldn't be able to keep a life with her.

"Very much."

"Good, good. Because I have to go to Avignon in a fortnight…" He knew that leaving that soon wouldn't be easy, but he still had to finish some business he had postponed because of the wedding.

"But you just got back!" April sat straight, almost jumping in the bed, as if holding tighter could keep him in place. Her teared up eyes almost made Joseph give up the entire trip.

"I know…"

"For how long?"

"Only… three weeks."

"One"

"Two."

"One!"

"T…two… all right, one." He conceded, rolling his eyes and pushing her shoulders to rest comfortable in bed to sleep again. He kissed her forehead and pulled the blanked, wrapping her in it, the new book besides her bedside table. "Come on, go to sleep. Sleep tight, my darling."

* * *

"I've never seen so many gloomy faces around here. I shall be back in a week"

The ladies and the servants were all once more positioned in the front porch for the farewell. His ride was ready to depart, Owen holding it in place while Joseph came out of the door to say goodbye.

"Then go. The sooner you leave, the sooner we can celebrate your return." Joseph kissed his new wife lovingly on the lips, caressing her face while she made a small pout. "Perhaps by then, the three of you will know each other better." He patted the two step-daughters in their cheeks and finally knelled in front of April, the girl looking down afraid that her tears might fall.

He gave her a sweet smile while putting a lose strand of hair behind her ear, lifting her chin to make her stare in his eyes. "Huh? I'm counting on you to teach them the ropes around here. The Baroness isn't used to getting her hands dirty."

He kissed her in the cheek, April wrapping her arms around his neck to hold onto her father for a bit more. She would miss him, but was content that this time she would have her new mother and sisters to take care of her while he was gone. He let go of her and hopped on his mane, an uncomfortable expression on his face after holding the reins up to turn around, his left arm apparently in pain.

"Come along, ladies. Back to your lessons."

The Baroness clapped twice to indicate the three of them to hurry inside, Meredith and Alexandra quickly moving, heading to the door with their mother following.

"Wait, It's tradition. He always waves at the gate." April exclaimed to them, the servants looking at her with proud smiles, still standing in their places. Ellis simply gave her a disgusted smile, surprising the redhead, and disappeared behind the door. Frowning, confused about the rude attitude, something she had never witnessed in the house, she turned her attention back to her father. Her worries about how she might have gotten into the Baroness dark side after disobeying her were forgotten when Joseph, half way towards the gate fell from the horse and never got back up.

"PAPA!" April was the first to react, running towards him. She couldn't hear anything but her breathing, the wind against her body, her legs already hurting from the pace, heart hammering against her chest, but not daring to stop for a second to catch a breath. He had fell before, but was quick to get back on his feet again, never letting her worry about he being hurt. The fact that few seconds had passed and he has not yet moved only increased the dreadful feeling in her heart. Was he paralyzed? Was he… He couldn't be. Dead was not a new conceit to her but her father was a strong healthy man. He could not be working in a second and the next one be dead. God wouldn't let her have a family for the first time just to tear it apart… Would he?

By the time she reached him and got on the floor by his side, she could finally hear the commotion she had left down the road. The Baroness was also running for her life, followed closed by Owen, the other servants behind them all. She put her hands on his chest, feeling his heartbeat and irregular breaths, his chest apparently making much effort to keep moving, pulling his clothes to make him look at her. His eyes were open, and he blinked a couple times till he finally could focus on her face.

"My darling…" He slowly reached for her face at the same time Ellis felt on his side, touching his chest the same way April had done a few seconds before.

"Joseph… " She was desperate, pulling him towards her even though he did not move or diverted his attention from April.

"I love you…" The dying man said, once more picking a lose strand of red hair and holding it with love, putting it behind the girl's ear, stroking her teared cheeks while she sobbed. He and his daughter could not see the hurt in Ellis eyes from the fact that the man she had married never spared her a glance on his dying moments " I love you…"

"Papa…"

"Joseph, you cannot leave me here…"

His hand fell on the floor and both women over him screamed, holding him to each other. April laid on his chest, holding to his skin and clothes, the Baroness desperate, getting up and throwing herself at Owen to be able to stand.

"You cannot leave me here!"

Arizona and Calliope both picked at one of April's arm, trying to release her from her father's dead body, only making the girl to hold him tighter.

"Leave me here!"

"Papa, please come back!"

 _"It would be ten years before another man would enter her life… A man who was still a boy… in many, many ways."_

* * *

 _A/N: Hello everyone! This is my new ff heavily based on my favorite movie ever (Ever After). Jackson will make his charming entrance next chapter ;) And be ready for many many characters to show up xD I hope you enjoy it! Lots of love 3_


	2. Chapter 1

_10 years later_

"I signed a marriage treaty with the King of Spain...and that boy will obey me, or there will be hell to pay!"

The loud voices resonated on the stone walls along the heavy steps of the King, the Dowager Queen and their knights. It was late, the crescent moon casting soft silver paths of light that came inside the castle from the high windows, the scorching torches both servants carried by their sides increasing the illumination on the corridor. The scene was not as unusual as it should be. Both royals in their cotton almost transparent sleeping attires, their gowns barely tied and getting looser by the second as they quickly paced down the wing, heavy crowns lopsided in their heads as the only sign of their position.

"But he does not love her, my lord."

"It is not about love!"

"Perhaps it should be!"

Queen Catherine was frustrated by the King having not learned from his previous mistakes. She could still recall the moment she stepped inside the pompous French castle as the new foreign Queen, having just married King Jefferson I in order to consolidate in sacred marriage an old friendship between two reigns. Both were still young, barely of age, but King Harper decided to abdicate in order to his son be obligated to develop a long missing sense of duty.

Catherine had been shipped away from his country aware of the situation, her parents having raised her perfectly to step in as the new Queen of France, but Jefferson was still immature in every way possible. His education, as much as Harper was strict, lacked the dedication and ambition demanded from a Prince, as he would rather spend the night with common women, drinking with other lords, than learn economy, history, and military strategies. Their guests were always unimpressed by his attitudes, as if they couldn't expect nothing better from the boy. The king's pressure over his behavior, added by Catherine being displeased by the arrangements and the disrespect, and an entire court spreading rumors of how the kingdom would perish in his hands, lead the man to, in the middle of a night while Catherine tiredly nursed their first-born son, secretly steal a horse and ran away, never looking back.

The following morning, when his absence was noted at the church mass, and then after at the commoners visiting hours, Harper had to secretly put his knights after the man while announcing to the restless court that the young King had suddenly felt ill. The news overspread fast and the entire realm grew worried about the succession line.

As hard as King Harper could be, the land had prospered under his management and all prayed to God to take his soul only after teaching his son the proper way. The addition of Catherine helped to raise everyone's spirit, as the young woman appeared to be humble and a worker, always reachable and respectful. Welcoming a new prince always renewed the prospect of stability, and France at the time had three generation of kings alive. The unexpected and mysterious disease of the King washed away all these feeling, leaving people wondering who'd step up to replace the man in case of death, and if the heir apparent Prince Jackson would survive his young years to one day be able to rule. King Harper's life would also be in peril as his death would complete destroy the current line. So, when two weeks after it was announced that indeed Jefferson's life had been taken, instead of how a coward his son was, and services and homages were finished, Harper became once again King, Catherine took over some duties her late husband had, more capable than he could ever be, and was in charge of raising Prince Jackson the proper way.

"If he is to become King, he must accept his responsibilities."

"A sapling cannot grow in the shadow of a mighty oak, Harper. He needs sunlight."

Catherine tried to intervene before arriving at her son's chamber. Harper still couldn't see that Jackson would not repeat his father's mistakes. He was intelligent, dedicated, a hard worker, with a strong spirit. He only needed the opportunities, but the King was still hurt by his previous offspring, and day after day, as he demanded more from his grandson, their relationship grew strained and the young man started to show resembling attitudes to his late parent.

"He needs a good whipping, that's what he nees."

"Really, Harper! Can't this wait till morning?"

"If I can't sleep, neither shall he. Jackson, wake up!"

The King did not wait for one of the servants to open the door, himself pushing hard the heavy wooden one, letting it hit the wall, startling his companions. All entered the cold chamber in a hurry, looking around the rich room, covered in tapestries and gold furniture, to find the Prince as he had gone to bed earlier than usual that night. The candles were not lit anymore, his bed undone, but sheets nowhere to be found. Suddenly a cold breeze made everyone's attention turn to the open window, and the bed linen was finally found, trussed to the bed and falling down the parapet.

"Oh, no. Not again."

"Call out the guard. Bring him back!"

* * *

The eighteen year old girl was not feeling rested enough, but the cock crawling outside the house signaled that it was already time to start her daily work. Also, it wasn't like she could redeem in a single night a decade of tiredness. She softly rolled on the stone cold floor, over the straw, moving her body slightly to the right, trying to absorb a bit more of the warm from the hearth.

As the redhead moved her right hand to help her stand, eyes still closed, she felt old pages between her fingers. She had, once again, fallen asleep while reading her father's last gift, Utopia. The book had long lost his beauty, now completely creased from the many times she reread it, the pages dirty with ashes much like her skin and body.

As she looked at the window, the sunlight indicated that in order to not be late for supper, she should get up immediately and take care of the farm. After moving to the adjacent room, while setting up the respective buckets of remaining food to feed the pigs, ducks, sheep, horses, chickens, and every other animal they still had, she once more tried to figured out what she had done to deserve this life. She was covered in cinder and dirt, the clothes she washed every day to have some clean to wear already dirty from sleeping on the kitchen floor, her hands not bleeding at the moment but callused, the long hair, quickly brushed, no longer porting the shine it had when she wasn't only a servant of the house.

After her father's dead, her life only went downhill. At first, she tried to keep the promise of helping her step-mother to adapt to their lifestyle, one much more simpler that the one she had on her previous house. April herself was now in need to adapt with Joseph no longer being the main provider. The Baroness, though, ignored her pleas to save money and kept her high expenses and demands, wasting more than they could win from the farm. Not much time had passed until they couldn't afford to maintain the servants and Ellis wouldn't dare to do hand work, neither would allow Alexandra to help, as Meredith never volunteered. The redhead obligated herself to aid Arizona, Calliope, and Owen, the only ones that had not left, remaining out of love for the little girl. They couldn't leave, abandoning the poor orphan on the hands of a woman they were now aware was cruel, her soul engraved with envy and malice towards the step-daughter. So, in no time, April's role in the house was no longer of the proper owner, but of a slave, as her roots were too deep in that land to just give up on it.

In the middle of the morning, she went to the orchard near the crops of corn in order to pick up apples for pie making. While lying on the grass, smelling the beautiful, soft fruits, sorting only the best ones for the house and the fair, the older to the animals, she heard the royal trumpet followed by the jogging of a dozen horses. Looking up, she saw the outstanding animals running down the small patch that crossed her land, the riders bearing the king's red flannels. They were obviously in a mission for the palace, and even though her curiosity was tempting, she had no time to waste with the life of the rulers who couldn't care less about the poor's.

She turned back to her job and after putting the chosen apples on her apron, decided to head back to the manor, already forgetting about the previous commotion. After crossing a small straw field, the building already in her sight, she suddenly heard the neighing of a horse and its steps, followed by the unknown voice of a man. She knew it wasn't right as the only person who lived in the house and rode besides her was now being shipped to the Americas. As the redhead turned her back to the path she previously came from, she witnessed at a hundred meters away a man wearing a deep purple hooded cape, covering his head and body, over her father's old horse. He was galloping, jumping across the fence made of high ivy used to delimitate the field, unaware that he was going in her direction.

"Come on, you stupid beast! Come on!"

"Oh No! You don't!" April exclaimed, quickly running the way back. Her day just had taken an immense turn for the worse. If she needed God's help to usually deal with her family's daily needs, now she would need the double to not end up the morning as a murderer. She could understand the impulse to steal. It was not unusual in the most poor families. Compared to these stories, she was aware of how privileged she was from having a way to grow food and eventually have enough money to survive another day. The problem was that this man had picked the wrong horse from the three they had available. It was the remaining of the last good memory she had. The brown mount was her father's favorite, the one he always travelled with, the one he had fell off after having a heart attack.

As April stood in the field again, now running straight in direction of the horseman that still hadn't noted her presence, she felt the apples starting to fall from her apron. Quickly recovering two before letting go of the fabric completely, she waited for the man to be only a few feet away to aim at him and threw the apple precisely at his head, knocking him down the back of the horse out of pain and surprise.

"Oh, no, you don't. Thief! This will teach you to steal my father's horse!" Her rage was blinding and she did not await for the mysterious man to get back on his feet before throwing another apple at his torso with strength while picking the reins to stop the horse.

"I was borrowing it. I have no choice." The man was not fighting her or even trying to defend himself, his only concern being to keep the cape covering his entire nature. The only piece available for April to see was the dark skin of his hands keeping the mantle over his head. It did not stop her, though, from picking two more fallen apples and throwing them at his head and legs while he limped beside her.

"And our choice is what? To let you?"

"I was borrowing it."

"Get out, or I'll wake the house."

The redhead kept picking up the fruits and throwing at him without stopping, somehow angrier after his ridiculous explanation. She was aware that she could be hurting him, and it wasn't her nature to not care about other people's feelings, but was now realizing that his clothes were fancy and he obviously had a higher upbringing. The man ended up tripping over his own feet and clothes, falling clumsy once more on the straw, but this time rolling over his body and jumping back on his feet. Trying to stand up properly, mad and tired for been knocked down twice, by fruits threw from a common woman no less, he pushed his cape to his back and stood tall, taking a deep breath before looking at her.

But instants before he finished getting up and looked at her face, April's heart was skipping a beat out of recognizing his gorgeous face. He was young, but already looked like a man. His dark skin, short hair, beard covering chin and cheeks, and clear green eyes were unmistakable. How could she had been so blind that didn't realize she was throwing apples at the Prince. If he only sent her to prison would be already a gift, the chances of her losing her head were high. She fell instantly on her elbows and knees at his feet, not daring to raise her head and look at him for one more second.

"Forgive me, Your Highness. I did not see you."

"Your aim would suggest otherwise." He complained under his breath, putting a hand over his forehead and the other over his chest, both places where she had hit him most. She watched as his feet slowly moved near the horse again, feeling her heart tightening, but knowing there was nothing she could do if the man wished for the animal.

"And for that I know I must die."

"Then..." He stopped after holding the horse's reins once again, looking after the young woman over his shoulder. All he could see was the top of her head, her dirty hands, and worn-out white dress and blue apron. He was surprised she thought he could be so merciless, especially when he was the one transgressing the law. "Speak of this to no one and... I shall be lenient." His voice was proud, giving no space for complains. He didn't want to impose over a poor girl like that one, but Jackson had learned from his family that he should always act according to his position. He also couldn't give her the option to denunciate his position.

"We have other horses, Your Highness. Younger, if that is your wish." April quickly said as he put his feet on the bridle to hop on the mounter. Maybe if she offered him another horse he would spare the one she deeply cared about. In her thoughts, she silently prayed to God to be merciful and not take another meaningful thing from her.

"I wish for nothing more than to be free of my gilded cage." He said in spite while maneuvering the horse in a circle around the woman, looking around for another witness. When he confirmed that no one had seen them, he spared her another gaze while picking up a sac from the inside of his clothes, pouring on the floor dozens of golden francs before riding away, startling her. "For your silence."

* * *

"I asked for four-minute eggs, not four one-minute eggs. And where in God's name is our bread?!" Meredith screamed to Arizona while staring at the plate in front of her, hands tight at the border of the table, trying to control herself to not get up and slap the woman across the face. The beautiful blond girl was sitting on the left side of Ellis at the dining room, Alexandra in front of her looking startled.

"It's just coming out of the oven, my lady." The servant, maintaining a face with no expression, turned her eyes to the girl while picking up the utensils, staring into hers, and headed to the kitchen, leaving the other women staring at the older sister.

"Meredith, precious...what do I always say about tone?" Ellis said in a sweet way.

"A lady of breeding ought never to raise her voice... above the gentle hum ofa whispering wind." Lexie gave a discreet smile while answering softly, not daring to look at her mother's or sister's faces, knowing they would be rolling her eyes or threatening to hurt her later.

"Alexandra, dear. Do not speak unless you can improve the silence." Ellis turned to her younger daughter, a disgusted smile over her lips and a rude tone to her voice. She tried to not demonstrate preference for any of the girls, but sometimes as she looked at Meredith, all she could see was herself, only younger and with better opportunities. The Baroness had worked hard for that title, and after her first husband lost everything they had in order to drink himself to stupor, she had to remarry to another lord, even if it meant to move to a farm. All if in the end it meant that her daughters would eventually belong in the royal court.

Meredith was extremely beautiful. Her golden curls, blue charming eyes, thin waist and large breasts made her delicate and sensual. The girl had learned early from the Baroness how lucky she was for been born with that traces and that mother, and if put to good use she could have any man in her hands. She was Princess material. Alexandra, as pretty as she was, was plain in her mother's eyes. She wasn't ambitious as her older sister, and didn't like crossing boundaries to achieve her goals. That conjoined by the fact that she ate everything when anxious, giving her a couple more pounds than Meredith, made her a disgrace, no matter how she amazed at the other demands from her mother and excelled at being a good person.

"I was not shrill, I was resonant. A courtier knows the difference." Mer intervened, making a slight frown while staring at her mother. Her pride never let her admit being wrong.

"I very much doubt your style of resonance would be permitted in the Royal Court."

"I'm not going to the Royal Court, am I, Mother?" She replied exasperated, still hurt about the news spread on the realm. "No-one is. Except some Spanish pig they have the nerve to call a princess."

"Darling, nothing is final until you're dead. And even then I'm sure God negotiates." Ellis looked deep in the other blonde's eyes, making a mental promise to both of them that her Meredith would be made princess, no matter what she had to do. Her older daughter was born to be extraordinary. As she turned back to her plane, she almost screamed out of displeasure, but contained herself to a disgusted look. "Why is there no salt on this table? April!"

"Coming!" April answered quickly as she stepped inside the kitchen bearing the biggest smile they had seen in a long time.

The moment the Prince had dissapeared in the horizon, April could barely contain herself enough to collect the now kneaded apples, put them back in the apron, and run back to the house.

"She's in one of her moods!" Calliope complained to the redhead while she deposited the apples at the corner table. "Did the sun rise in the east?" The brunette looked up from bread she was molding in the center table, a weirded frown in her face. That took Arizona's attention from the eggs in the cauldron behind her, making her too face the younger.

"Yes, Callie, it did. And it is going to be a beautiful day!" April giggled while picking up the coins the prince had given her minutes before and tossed them at the table, expecting their reactions.

"Look at all those feathers!" Callie exclaimed reaching for the money, while the girl started to pick the silverware needed at the dining room. "Child, where did you get this?"

"From an angel of mercy. I know what to do with them."

"If the Baroness can sell your _husband_ to pay her taxes... "April gave the brunette a pointed look, while smirking at Arizona that had turned again to the caldron, blushing spreading across the blonde's face. She always found interesting their arrangement, but only fully understood it when she was older. Calliope and Owen were old friends, having grown up together. When Arizona became Joseph's servant and both women started an affair, they had to confide in Owen to keep their secret. After their lord's death, his beautiful fiancée flew with a lord. Heartbroken, and not wanting his best friend and her lover to be separated in case the Baroness raised her suspicions, he decided to wed her. "then these can certainly bring him home. The Court will have to let him go."

"But the King has sold him to Cartier. He's bound for the Americas." Arizona diverted from her task, suddenly remembering with desperation the fate of her confident.

"This is our home, and I will not see it fall apart." April determined tone and angry expression filled their hearts with hope.

"We are waiting!" April quickly picked up the warm bread, the salt, and some utensils, while Calliope collected the coins and rushed to her side, hiding them in a pocket.

"Take heed, mistress... or these coins are as good as hers."

"Morning, Madame... Meredith, Alexandra. I trust you slept well." April walked inside the dining room slowly, setting the bread in the middle of the table and the other items in the right side of her step-mother. She did not dare to raise her eyes from the floor, well aware of the despicable looks in the face of the two blonde women. Lexie had always tried to treat her with love and respect, even though for herself not to be punished she had to cut down her sweet manners in front of her mother and older sister. That morning, she barely replied with kind eyes and smile.

"What kept you?" The Baroness looked at her face, waiting for an answer and trying to figure out a lie.

"I fell off the ladder in the orchard, but I am better now."

"Someone's been reading in the fireplace again. Look at you. Ash and soot everywhere." Meredith smirked, looking down at April's clothes.

"Some people read because they cannot think for themselves." Ellis replied while salting her eggs.

"Why don't you sleep with the pigs, Cinder-Soot...if you insist on smelling like one?" Meredith stared into April's eyes, these filled with hurt and anger. Trying not to react, the redhead decided to take a deep breath and contain herself in the corner of the room, only waiting for them to finish.

"That was harsh, Meredith. April, come here, child." Ellis reached out her soft hands and held tight on her step-daughter's right arm, steading her in place and taking a better view of her looks." Your appearance does reflect a certain... crudeness, my dear. What can I do to make you try?

"I do try, Stepmother." The young girl felt her heart shattering. She felt so embarrassed of herself, especially near the three ladies sitting in front of them. Deep down in her soul all she wished was to be able to look and behave like them. Fit into their family. Make them see her for who she really was, behind all the dirt, and love her. After all, the work she had done her entire life was to help them. April tried to not let the tears come to surface, putting a lock of red hair behind her left ear and subtly checking for any wetness down her cheek. "I do wish to please you. Sometimes, I sit on my own...and try to think of what else I could do, how to act..."

"Oh, calm down, child. Relax." Ellis rolled her eyes and turned back again, shutting her down.

"Perhaps if we brought back Owen, I would not offend you so." April directed herself for the corner, but decided to make the suggestion. In the end, the Baroness was the only one who could go to the palace and buy him back.

"It is your manner that offends, April." Ellis turned in her chair to stare at her angrilly, letting her spoon fall on the table in a dramatic way. "Throughout these hard times, I have sheltered you, clothed you and cared for you. All that I ask in return is that you help me here without complaint. Is that such an extraordinary request?"

"No, my lady." April held her hands tightly in front of her body, maintaining the hard look of the woman. She could feel Meredith smirking at her being scolded and Alexandra looking worried at the treatment her mother was giving her step-sister.

"Very well. We shall have no more talk of servants coming back. Is that quite understood?"

"Yes, my lady." April nodded and after a second of silence, gave them their back and decided to wait for more requests at the kitchen.

"After all that I do! After all I have done! It's never enough... Eggs are cold!"

* * *

 _A/N: Hello everyone, so this is the proper chapter 1. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing. :D If you want to find me outside FF my tumblr is thearcanachronicles and you are all welcomed to r &r 3 thank you for sticking with me._


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